The Core Center for Communication Disorders (CCCD) will increase the efficiency of qualifying investigators and promote collaboration among a wide range of research programs at the Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH) and neighboring academic institutions by providing Core support in three areas. The Laboratory Computing and Biostatistics Core (LCBC), under the direction of Stephen Neely, will continue to support research programs by: 1) providing troubleshooting and software development that enables research productivity; 2) developing and maintaining useful software packages that benefit multiple laboratories; and 3) providing expert assistance in the use of research hardware and software. With the addition of a biostatistics resource, the LCBC will provide essential services to all CCCD research programs. The new Research Synergy Core (RSC), under the direction of Barbara Morley and Mary Pat Moeller, will facilitate interactions within a large group of investigators at BTNRH and neighboring institutions by: 1) fostering scientific collaboration through a multifaceted, interdisciplinary program of research and information sharing; 2) fostering the integration of new ideas and research technologies by establishing affinity groups; and 3) reducing barriers to collaboration by identifying opportunities for resource sharing and other forms of interdependence across laboratories and institutions. The Human Research Subjects Core (HRSC), under the direction of Michael Gorga, will continue to support research with human subjects by: 1) increasing the efficiency, with which potential subjects are recruited, including minority subjects, by maintaining and expanding a database of individuals who have expressed an interest in participating in research; 2) assisting investigators in assuring that they are in compliance with local and national regulations; and 3) assisting investigators in the preparation of IRB protocols, IRB and NIH progress reports and in the proper storage and handling of consent forms and related documents. The current CCCD user base includes nine R01grants, but there are more than 20 additional investigators at BTNRH and neighboring institutions with a history of NIH funding and an interest in communication disorders research that can provide the critical mass necessary for increased efficiency and effective collaborations.